Fire apparatus



J. J. KAISER.

FIRE APPARATUS. 1,410, APPLICATION mm APR. 17. 1920. Patented Mar- 21,1922' 2 SHEETSSHEET l- JNIVENTOR. Jail 71 (1% 61/66 6 kl A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

' W MQMZW 0 2 9 (I x q 1 I t l I 7 1 R rlv A S A E KW rr J EN T A C L PP A UNITED STATES PATENT JOHN J, KAISER, or DAYTON, 0310,

FIRE APPARATUS.

7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma12'21, 1922.

Application filed April 17, 1920. Serial no. 374,658.

To all whom it may concern:

1 3e it known that I, JoHN J. Karena, a oitlzen of the United States,residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State "ed on thetruck through suitable operating connections with the motor of thetruck, or may be demounted from the truck and operated through suitableconnections with any available source of power.

The main object of the invention is to provide means whereby extensiblescaling ladders, of the general character of'fire truck ladders, may bepower-operated, as

distinguished from the present common practice of manual operation; theresult to be effected by power operation consisting in quicker and morepositive manipulation of the ladders and, therefore, a, greater degreeof safety in the work that is to be performed in connection with theiruse.

As shown in the drawings and herein described the invention contemplatesthe use of air compressors and pneumatic controls for raising andlowering extensible ladders of any suitable construction and formaneuvering the same relative to buildings which are to be scaled by theuse thereof.

In the operation of trucks equipped with the apparatus, in the preferredform of construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it iscontemplated to use an air.

pressure storage tank of ample capacity to perform all initialoperations of the 'l'adders, such as maneuveringthe same relative to abuilding, and extending the ladders to scale the building, and'tomaintain the storage tank normally charged at the required pressure toperform these operations. Thus the apparatus will be" at all timesnormally ready for instantuse irrespective ofthe eon- 'clition ofthemotor-orother source of power I for charging the storage his is at restor in operation.

It is a further object of the invention as herein contemplated to employin connection with the storage tank an air compressor directly"connected to thetruck motor, when a motor-operated truck is used, orotherwise with an independent motor, whereby the pressure of the storagetank may be maintainedat normal whether the appara- In the constructionshown, it is further contemplated to employ a direct-operating airpressure chamber in connection with the ladder 'hoisting'means wherebythe action of the an on the hoistlng means will be equalized and theaction and control of the ladders wlll be directand pos tive with thepossibility of failure IIIOPQI'MZIOII minimized to a negligible degree.

As faras I am aware-I am the'first to evolvea practicable apparatushaving the general"characteristics of the present construction and thebroad underlying principles of invention defined in the-appendedclaims.It will be understood that the invention relates to these broadprinciples rather-than to theuminor details of construction which maybemodified in various ways without departlng from the basic features orthespirit of the invention.

VVhile'the invention" is herein illustrated and'described asapplied topneumatic app'aratus, it will be understood that pressure mediums otherthan air, such as water or other suitable liquids, maybe employed to'efiect'th'e automatic maneuvering of the ladders,the pneumaticapparatus being-herein shown for thezpurposes 0f illustration only.

Inthe drawings: a

F g. 1 is a plan-view of a truck and apparatus embodying the presentinvention in one form;

Figi'2 is a side elevation of the truck frame ancbapparatus shown inFig. 1'; a ladder and part of the machinery connected therewith beingshown "in dotted lines and part of the turn-table being shown in"section As shown in the drawings, the ladder opcrating apparatus may bemounted on any suitabletruclnt preferably on a motor-operated truck,-suitable connections being employed to operate the ladders with power supliedfrom'the truck-engine. I 1 bus aslillustr'ated in Fig. lolfthedrawings there is a truck frame 1 supported on ground. wheels :12.Mounted "on the name at check valve 16'and a cutoft valve'l'T beingemployed respectively to regulate the presc onnection with the engine 3,a switch or controlling devlce 8 being connected Wltllthe differentbattery circuits to control operation ofthe respective devices. Thus theengine 3 may be operated independently of the motors 5, 6 and 7 orjointly with any one of the motors, as may be desired and as may bedetermined by manipulatlon of a switch 8 whlch is here shown in more orless conventional form, it being understood .that the switch and wireconnectlons may be of the usual forms of well known constructlon. 1 r

The motor 5, as here shown, is gear-con- ;nected to an air compressor 9,any suitable gearing, as indicated at 10 and 1O" being gear 18 being asmall gear secured to the motor shaft, the gears 19 and 20 intermediategears, andthe gear 21 a large gear secured to one end of a 'directactionair compressor chamber 22 mounted in suitable bearing supports 23 on theturn-table 11. A clutch 24, as here shown, isinterposed between themotor 7 and chamber 22, whereby the gear connections therebetween may bethrown into and out otoperative relation.

Supported on-the frame 1 in the rear of the turn-table 11, as hereshown, are storage or reserve air pressure tanks, 14 which are connectedtothe air compressor 9 by pipe couplings 15, whereby the tanks may becharged with air from the compresso a sure at which the tanks lat may becharged and to cut out the connection betweenthe air-compressor and tankat times when the tanks areiull-charged and the apparatus isinoperative.

The compression tanks 14 are connected.

to. the direct-action chamber 22 byasuitable coupling, consisting ashereshown ota accommodate the "movement of the turntable upon wh chthe'chamber 22 is mounted .and receding oi the endsol": the pipes 32 intheir movement into and outot pipes 31.

the connection to the tank from the pipe 25 is made by means of asection'of flexible hose 28.

Theair chamber 22, as stated, is mounted on the turn-table l1 and isalso mounted in the bearing supports 23 to rotate therein. Supported onthe chamber is an extensible ladder, here shown as consisting of twosec-' tions 29 and '30. It will be understood, however, that any desirednumber of ladder sections may be employed the present construction beingfor the purposes of illustration only. Section 29 of-the ladder rests.at its base on the chamber 22 and may be secured thereto in anysuitable manner. Section 30 of the ladder is mounted to be extendedlongitudinally of section 29, the connections between the sections being01": the usual nested. construction in extension ladders. While theladders are here shown in sections it will be obvious that with suitablemodifications rope or other collapsible ladders may be employed. j

Also mounted on the chamber 22 are two opposite tubes or pipes 31,having extensible tubes 32 telescopically mounted therein, the jointsbetween the tubes 31 and 32 being packed in any suitable manner toprevent any material escape of air therethrough. The tubes or pipes 31'are mounted in any conventional way; as by their connection with thecouplings 31 as'to permit of the slight lateral movement between them toaccommodate the distance between thepipes 32 asthey telescope in and outof the pipes 31' At their outer free ends the tubes 32 are joinedtogetherwith a telescopiccrosshead which is connected to the section '30of the ladder by ropes or cables 35, and has 'securedfithereto outwardlyprojecting guide and-supporting wheels 86 adapted to contact with a wallof a building when the ladders are positioned relative thereto. Thistelescopic cross head permits the approach The. tubes 31 are directlyconnected to the a r chamber 22 in any suitable nianneix as by, ports37-, and tubes 32 are preferably closed at their inner ends to for-mahead for the action of the air thereon; Air is introduced to the chamber22 and therefore direct to tubes 31 by means of valve 2'? which will actto force tubes 32 and ladder section 30 secured thereto outwardly to anydesiredextent within their capacityfor'extension. When the "ladders havebcen extended they may be maintained in such relation by closing thecut-oflivalve 27.

To insure against any possibility of failure or accident inv thepneumatic apparatus when the ladders arein extended relation and firemenor othersascending or descendingthereon, any suitable mechanical meansmay be employed to positively lock the ex? -5 tended tubes and ladder inany extended position. Such means are illustrated in the drawings indevices applied to the opposite tubes 81 and 82 consisting of a toothedbar 38 pivotally secured to the cross head 34: and; adapted to passbetween the arms of the bifurcated member 39 secured to the ends oftubes31. The bar-'38, as here shown, is

provided with notches 4:0 adapted to be engaged by a locking pawl 41pivoted on the member '39. The locking pawl is shown ashaving one endweighted and 15 adapted to be employed to perform or assist inperforming the initial step of raising the ladders. As here shown an aircylinder 43 is mounted on the rear of the truckand is connected to theair tank M by suitable connections a l with the valve 27 whereby withthe opening of the valve to charge the chamber 22,'the initial movementto open the valve may be utilizedto charge the cylinder 43. The cylindermay have any suitablepiston operable'therei-n having a lifting head 45secured thereto externally of the cylinder, and adapted to looselysupport thereon the opposite tubes 31. Thus by charging the cylinder 453with air in the manner described the tubes 81 and 32 together with theextensible ladders secured thereto may be raised to the extent indicatedin Fig. 2 of the drawings as shown in dotted lines.

From the foregoing detailed description and from the accompanyingdrawings the construction and operation of the improved apparatus willbe readily understood.

As here shown it is contemplated that all the required power foroperating the apparatus will be supplied from the truck motor. Thus thestorage battery 4 may be charged from the motor through any suitableconnection, such as a generating motor, and the motor 5 may be suppliedwith current from the battery or direct from the generator to operatethe air compressor 9. The reserve air pressure tank 14 may be chargedwith air as required either to maintain the reserve air pressure thereinor to maintain operating pressure when the apparatus is at work.

The motor 6 may be supplied with current in like manner to operate theturntable to position the ladders relative to a building or otherwisewhere the same are to be raised. The motor 7 will likewise be suppliedwith current to rotate the chamber 22 and the ladder extending apparatussecured thereto to raise the pneumatic tubes 31 and 32 and the ladderstherewith to the desired angle for extending the ladders, the auxiliaryair pressure device 43 also being employed in this connection. Finally,the ladders will be'extended by charging the air chamber 22 from thetank 14, as hereindescribed. The action of the air in the chamber 22will be to equalize the pressure on the closed ends of the tubes 32 sothat the projections of the tubes and the ladder section 30 will be inbalanced relation.

lVhile the'construction herein shown is estially of a preferred form, itwill be understood that theinvention deals with the apparatus as a wholerather than with the de tail arrangements. Various modifications may bemade in the apparatus, both as to details of construction andarrangement of the different units of the apparatus in their coordinatedrelations without departing from the underly ng principles and thespirlt of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

I 1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with amotor truck,

an air compressor operatively connected with the motor thereof and areserve air pressure tank connected to the air compressor. of a-directair pressure chamber connected to the reserve air tank and rotativelyadjustable relative thereto, telescopic air tubes mounted on said airchamber and adapted to be charged with air therefrom, and an extensibleladder connected to said tubes whereby said tubes and ladder may beangularly adjusted and compressed air may be employed in said apparatusto expand said tubes longitudinally to extend said ladders.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination, with amotor and an air compressor operatively connected therewith, of areserve air pressure tank connected to the air compressor, adirect-action air pressure chamber connected to. the reserve air tankand mounted to rotate in horizontal and vertical planes relativethereto, air--operated extensible members mounted on said air chamberand adapted to be charged with air therefrom and an extensible ladderconnected to said members whereby compressed air may be employed in saidapparatus to expand said members longitudinally to extend said ladders.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination, with amotor and an air compressor operatively connected therewith, of an airpressure chamber connected to the air compressor and adapted to beadjusted rotatively relative thereto, air-operated extensible members,mounted on said air chamber and adapted to be charged with airtherefrom, and an extensible ladder connected to said members wherebycompressed air may be employed in said apparatus to expand said memberslongitudinally to extend said'ladders.

at. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with aframe, a motor, and an air compressor operatively connected to saidmotor, of air-operated extensible members mounted for movement relativetosaid frame, and an air pressure chamber communicating with the aircompressor and rotatively mounted on said frame, said extensible membersbeing connected with said chamber for rotative movement therewith inregardto said frame, said extensible members to be charged from saidair-pressure chamber, an extensible ladder connected to said memberswhereby compressed air may be employed in said apparatus to expand saidmembers longitudinally to extend said ladders, and locking devicescooperating with said members to maintain the ladders in said extendedrelation.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with aframe, a motor, and an air compressor operatively connected to saidmotor, of air-operated extensible members mounted for movement relativeto said frame, and an air pressure chamber communicating with the aircom pressor and rotatively mounted on said frame, said extensiblemembers being connected with said chamber for rotative movementhorizontally and vertically therewith in regard to said" frame, saidextensible members to be charged from said air-pres-. sure chamber, anextensible ladder connected to said members whereby compressed air maybe employed in said apparatus to expand said members longitudinally toextend said ladders, and an auxiliary air-operated a mechanismcooperatin with said means and the air pressure cham er to partiallyeffect said vertical adjustment.

i 6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with aframe, a

motor, and an air compressor operatively connected to said motor, of aturntable'on said frame, and vertically-adjustable airwith the aircompressor and rotatively mounted 011 said turntable, means to operatethe turntable, and separate means to effect the vertical adjustment ofsaid extensible members, and an extensible ladder ture.

JOHN J, KAISER,

operated extensible members thereon, and an air pressure chambercommumcatmg

